Aftermath
by MrsJagielski
Summary: His actions nearly cost him his world. My take on Nathan and Haley after the accident. A Naley Short.
1. Chapter 1

Aftermath

An OTH Naley Short

By Alex B

1

"_Haley! Haley!"_

_There was blood. It was coming out of her nose and her mouth, and she was looking at him, her eyes so solemn. Lying on the cold street, pain etched her features. She opened her mouth to talk, but she coughed up blood instead. A tortured sound ripped from Nathan's chest. She was dying. His life was slipping away and he has no one to blame but himself._

_She touched his cheek with her hand. She knew. The look in her eyes said it all. She couldn't say the words so she mouthed them instead. Haley mouthed the words "I love you" over and over again until her eyes finally slid closed, a small sad smile on her lips._

_He held her, rocking back and forth on the cold cobble stone, his face buried in his wife's hair. It still smelled like the shampoo that she had used just that morning. Then he heard a baby cry. His baby_

_Tears flowing freely, Nathan threw his head back and shouted. Goddammit, it should have been him. He would be dead._

Nathan's body jerked from its sleep. Slowly he sat up. He was at home. Sitting in his own chair, the lights were off all around him. He ran a hand over his face. He couldn't fall asleep when he lay next to her, and Nathan knew why. He didn't deserve to. His actions had set into motion a chain of event that he had never in a million years thought possible. His wife and his unborn son had nearly died because of him, and it wasn't over yet.

"Mm…Nathan?" The lights came on and he looked up. Haley stood in the arch way to the hall. Her hair was just the way that he liked it, sleepy and pillow tossed. He would have smiled if he hadn't taken in the healing cuts and scrapes and the crutches that held her up.

"_Loose that game."_

"Baby, what are you doing up?"

"Me," he stood. "You shouldn't be out of bed." He held her then because he needed to. The dream, no, that nightmare, was way too real. He needed to feel her. His breath sighed out of him when his wife laid her head on his chest.

What kind of man was he?

What did it say about him that he couldn't throw away a game the most important person in his world, and the result of how much they loved each other, safe? Did basketball really mean that much?

No.

Then why?

"What are you doing up, Hales?"

"You weren't lying next to me. Messed up my sleep." She smiled. "Not to mention that my feet are freezing and someone is supposed to keep them warm for me. And since the mailman is a chick now, that person is you."

"Well, gee, thanks." He smiled down at her. But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Had a nightmare again, didn't you?"

He would never lie to her again for as long as he lived. "They won't go away. I couldn't sleep so I came out here. Passed out in the chair and…"

"You're gonna be dead on your feet tomorrow if you don't get some rest."

Yeah. He had something he needed to do, and he was going to need al the help that he could get.

-

"Hey, man."

Lucas turned his head to look at his brother. Nathan came in the room, closing the door behind him. He was scared to death, Lucas saw, and he should be. If he could get out of the bed that he lay in, he would wrap his hands around his little brother's neck.

"How you feeling?" Lucas looked him over. Not only was Nathan scared, he looked like hell. Attack of conscience had a way of doing that. Not to mention that he was sure that karma was whooping Nathan's ass.

"Didn't take my meds. Pushed myself in that game. Best friend got ran down and my heart just couldn't take it. It was that Dante guy wasn't it?"

Nathan nodded and Lucas cursed, searing his brother with a look so angry Nathan had to fight the urge to take a step back. "Luke,"

"Save it." He spat.

"I didn't know that any of this was going to happen."

"But it did."

"I was just trying to take care of my family."

"_You nearly got your family killed!"_ He shouted then groaned at the new pain in his chest. Nathan looked over his shoulder then back to his brother.

"If you don't calm down you're going to hurt something."

"You care now?" He didn't blame Nathan for his heart attack. Just like he could have found another way to take care of his money situation, Lucas could have found a better way of winning a state championship. _"I wish that I could get out of this bed, because I would kick your ass!"_

"_And I would let you!"_ Nathan dropped into the seat next to the bed and put his head in his hands, a sob caught in his chest. Lucas stared at his ceiling, swallowing back his own fear and anger.

"I'm having a son." He heard Nathan say. "Haley told me that she was having a boy and I came out and played in that second half and played the way that I should have been playing all along. Why? Because I want my son to be proud of me the way that I have never been proud of Dan. I want to teach…" his voice broke. "I want to teach my son how to be a man. And I couldn't do that if I did what Dante wanted me to do. I couldn't throw that game. But I was going to pay back every dime that I took from that man. You have to believe that I would never trade the life of family for a ball game. It should have been me."

"I know." Lucas finally spoke. Nathan waited. He waited until his brother looked at him.

"You saying that because you're so mad at me you want to put me under a set of tires?"

"I'm said that because Haley saved you."

"Not for the first time." Nathan replied. "When she pushed me out of the way," he shook his head. "The car hit her and my heart stopped. She was lying on the ground and I couldn't…I didn't know how to fix it." He stood, pushing a hand through his hair. Lucas followed him with his eyes.

"She doesn't know."

"And I can't tell her."

"Figures."

"You think I want this?" Nathan whirled shooting dagger at the guy lying in the bed. "I can't sleep at night, Lucas." He told him. "I keep having these nightmares about the accident-"

"This wasn't an accident."

"What do you want me to call it?" Nathan demanded. "Haley dies, Lucas. She dies in every one. Then I hear my son crying just before God has mercy on me and lets me wake up."

"You came to the wrong place for sympathy, Nate." Lucas told him. "Because I'm fresh out."

"That's not why I came here."

"Then why did you?"

"Because you're my brother, dammit. You're seventeen and your had a damn heart attack."

"That HCM ain't a joke."

"Guess the Phoenix Syndrome skips a generation."

"Guess so."

"I can't tell her Lucas. Not right now. She's already been through too much. _I've_ already put her through too much. I've done enough and she isn't well enough to hear this just yet. But I will tell her."

"Thank you so much for letting me in on your plan of action. I feel privileged." Nathan nodded then silently walked toward the door. Lucas stopped him.

"You've done some really stupid things, and you only get so many chances, Nathan." Lucas said to him. "And this may be your last one. Don't blow it."

"I think I already have."

-

"I didn't hear you leave this morning." Her back was to him as she rummaged in through the refrigerator. Her hair fell in curly, dark gold waves past her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at the way that her husband was looking father.

When she had first opened her eyes, Nathan's dark hair had been the first thing she'd seen. He had fallen asleep with his head near her hip. He'd been holing one of her hands in both of his. Until the day that he died, Haley would never forget the way Nathan had looked at her when he woke up to her touching her fingers to her hair. She had never seen Nathan cry before.

"Hungry?"

He shook his head. "No." He stepped into the kitchen and Haley breathed him in. She loved that smell. Nathan didn't wear cologne, he didn't use deodorant. Her husband was one of those guys who smelled good even when they were sweaty. "Sit." He told her. "Tell me what you want and I'll make it for you?"

"Hmm? You give sponge baths, too?" Haley fought a smile when Nathan's hands froze. He looked over at her and she raised a single brow. "I can't take a decent bath with this thing on even if I do wrap it in a plastic bag. I'd rather you help me out anyway. Can you handle it?"

Haley had wanted to feel normal since the day she had gotten to come home. She was fine, Nathan was fine, and their baby was fine. They had gotten to hear his heartbeat…

When she issued her challenge, Haley had the pleasure of seeing that Scott smirk cross her husband's lips. He closed the fridge and poured her a glass of milk. He slid the glass across the island with a single finger never taking his eyes off her. "Tell you what,"

Haley tilted her head to the side and smiled. "I'm listening."

He laughed softly. "Good. You drink your milk and choke down whatever I throw together for you to eat, and we'll see about that sponge bath. And hey, if you're a good girl, I'll even read you a story at naptime."

"Oh, goody." His kiss was soft and sweet. It had the potential to get deliciously out of hand, but Nathan stopped it. She was disappointed, but Haley understood. And she was tired to being treated like an invalid. That wouldn't last for too much longer.

"Finished my ham and cheese like a good girl." She yawned later. Pain pills kicked in fast, not to mention that she was still getting really tired. "Better hurry if I'm going to get that sponge bath. I'm fading fast."

Nathan barely touched his food. She wasn't going to push just yet. He cleared their plates then left her sitting at the kitchen island. Laughter bubbled in her throat. "Nathan!" She stopped laughing when he heard the water running in the bathroom. When Nathan came back around the corner he was sans shirt. "Yeah, baby!" Fingers in her mouth, Haley let out a shrill whistle. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" She laughed when she got an honest to God smile out of him that lit up his gorgeous face.

He pulled a plastic grocery store bag out from under the kitchen sink. Kneeling, he wrapped it around as much of the cast the bag would cover. When he stood up, his eyes were dark. "How about a real bath?" Nathan picked Haley up as if she weighed nothing and carried her down the hall.

She didn't need help washing her person, but she took it anyway. When she felt his hands in her hair, massaging her scalp as he washed her hair, Haley found it hard to keep her eyes open.

"Bed time for baby." She heard him murmur.

She smiled. "He's been sleeping for the last twenty minutes." Nathan's hand stopped in her hair.

"You can feel that?"

"I can."

"How?"

She lifted a shoulder. "I can just feel it I guess."

"What's it like?"

"Utterly amazing."


	2. Chapter 2

Aftermath

An OTH Naley Short

By Alex B

2

Utterly amazing. That was what it was when Nathan looked at her. She had to sleep on her back because of her leg, but her hand always rested on his chest. He could feel the metal of her wedding ring warm on his skin. He was always going to want her. But after he told her what she deserved to know, would Haley still want him?

"Stop it." Her lips smiled. Leaning forward, Nathan kissed her cheek. "Come on, handsome," she teased. "You can do better than that."

"Oh, I know I can, and I will once you're better."

"You know," Haley spoke, her eyes still closed. "I think that I'm well enough to handle any kiss you want to throw at me."

"Humor me."

"Only because you're so cute."

He frowned at that. "Guys don't want to be cute."

She chuckled. "Okay, only because you're so crazy sexy I can't say no to you. Better?"

"Much…"

"Glad I could help." Closing his eyes, Nathan concentrated on Haley's fingertips moving slowly over his chest. "Baby you have to sleep," she told him. "You can't function on exhaust."

"I love you, Haley."

"I know."

"So much," Nathan went on earnestly. Her eyes came open and she pushed herself up on her elbows.

"Nathan, dammit," she breathed at the tears on his cheeks. "_What_, for Godsakes, what is it. Please. Tell me." He gathered her to him so tight Haley could barely breathe. She bounced her balled fist off his shoulder. The first of her hot tears splashed down her cheeks. _"Nathan,"_ she begged.

He held her face in his hands, brushed her tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs. When he kissed her, Nathan prayed that it wouldn't be for the last time. He knew that he should wait, but he just could not hold it in anymore.

"It's my fault," he told her finally. "All of it. You and our baby almost died and it's my fault."

"What?" Why was he saying this? When he rested his had on her shoulder again, Haley pushed him away. "This was an _accident,_ Nathan." She told him. "This is not your fault."

"Haley,"

"No," she shook her head hard then took his face in her hands. "Listen to me, Nathan, _hear me._ This is not your fault. Do you understand?"

"I went do Dan." His shame was so great; his fear was so huge that Nathan's voice was barely a whisper. "I asked for help, but he wouldn't give it to me,"

"Dan didn't give you the money?"

Nathan shook his head. "No."

"Then who?" He bowed his head. _"Who, Nathan?"_

"A man came to the Rivercourt. He used to play for the Ravens. We talked. More than once. I don't know how he knew, but he knew that we were in trouble."

"Oh, Nathan, no…"

"He offered, Haley, and I took it." Nathan looked her in the eye now. "You needed me to make it better and it was the only way that I could. I took it, Haley. Sweet, I took that money."

"And you just thought that it was a gift?" Her voice was hard. He pushed himself out of their bed and paced the floor in front of it. He dragged his hand over the top of his head.

"No." He finally spoke. "I knew that he was going to want something. But I didn't know what."

"What did he want? Nathan!" She spoke louder when he didn't answer.

"Points." His voice went horse. "He wanted points. He wanted me to shave points in a game so that TH would only win by ten. Haley-" she held her head in her hands. Her chest heaved as she breathed hard to keep whatever it was growing inside her at bay.

"That car that hit me," she spoke. When she finally looked up, everything in Nathan sank. There was nothing there, not fear, not anger, not love. There wasn't revulsion or hate. "That car was meant for you?"

He nodded.

"_Say it!"_

_"Yeah,"_ he croaked. "It was meant for me. Haley-"

"Why?" She cut him off. "Why? You did what you said. You shaved those points, gambled with your future. Why did he still come?"

"Because he wanted more."

Her throat worked as she swallowed. "More? How much more, Nathan?"

"The championship."

Her breath whooshed out of her. "Lucas made that shot. Did he know? Did Lucas know that you were into a loan shark for your soul?"

"He knew."

"My God,"

"No, Haley, he didn't…Lucas was _pissed._ I only told him because I knew that it I didn't he would go out looking on his own. I didn't know what those guys were capable of."

_"They're loan sharks, Nathan!"_ She shouted. "Not everything you read in books or see on TV is false. He had a heart attack,"

"_Because he didn't take his pills._ Not because I did this."

_"You contributed, dammit."_ She shook her head hard as she tried to hold back her sobs. A whimper caught in her throat. He tried to hold her, but Haley pushed him away. "No, don't touch me. Don't you dare touch me," her hands cupped her stomach.

"Haley?"

"He could have died."

"I know." She started to cry and Nathan fought to be one the bed next to her. Haley fought to keep him away. She swung until her arms hurt. She swung until she had nothing left, and Nathan let her. He took every blow she threw. He took advantage of her tired body and held her, pressing kisses into her hair and on her face, telling her over and over again that he was sorry.

She threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him back. She pushed her face into his neck. But when he started to kiss her again, Haley pushed him away. "No," she said. "No!"

"Haley, please,"

"No, Nathan. Go. Leave."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You don't have a choice. I can't be near you right now. Looking at you makes me sick."

"No, Haley…please don't say that."

"Our son could have _died,_ Nathan then what? You tell me. _Then what?!_"

"I don't know. _I don't know!"_

"I cannot be near you right now. I can't look at you. You have to leave, Nathan. Now, or I'm getting out of this bed and walking myself!"

"Haley, you can't-"

"Can't what?" She dashed the tears away from her face. "Can't what Nathan?" She repeated.

"We need to be together, he told her. "We have to be together."

"Why?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Yeah, I do." She shoved her and into his chest. "Make it alright. Wake me up. Can yo do that, Nathan?"

It took him a moment to answer. "I'm trying to."

-

"Nate?" Peyton stepped out on the porch looking for Haley. "What happened?" He dropped his head then told her everything. He didn't leave anything out. Peyton was his friend, even when he did stupid things. She would help him. When he was finished he hated the look that was on her face. She was horrified.

"Peyton-" He didn't have a chance to say anything else. Peyton hit him so hard he stumbled and fell off the porch and into the yard. Nothing was broken, but he wished that something was. But even then, the pain in his body wouldn't be enough to battle the pain in his heart.

"Why did you come here?" She didn't tell him to kiss her ass, or take a hike. He took that as a good sign. Nathan reached into his pocket and threw his keys to her. "I need you to be with her." He spoke. "I don't want her to be alone."

"Where will you go?"

"Don't worry about it."

With his dad living in the Mayor's mansion and his mother back at the house, Nathan walked from Peyton's place to the house on the beach. He thanked the Gods for the liquor cabinet being stocked, and took a bottle of Jack and went out on the deck.

He'd asked for this. He couldn't take back what he did. But he wanted to. God, he wanted to. But what was done was done. He would take today, but tomorrow, he was going to get his family back.

He was breathing, so his heart had to be beating right? But Nathan couldn't feel it. Even if he were drunk, he wouldn't be able to blame that absence on the alcohol.

"_Haley! Haley!"_

_It was like he was running in slow motion to get to her. The impact of the car threw her body into the air. It fell to the street, and when he finally got to her, she was gone. Her head was turned away from him, her eyes saw nothing._

He jerked so hard out of sleep that he nearly felled the chair that he passed out in. Bottle in his hands, Nathan dragged himself off the patio and down the dock to the water. He threw the bottle into the ocean. Staggering back to the house, he sat in the dark.

-

"You went to see Lucas?"

Peyton nodded. "Apparently Nathan went to see him today, too. He was so mad when I saw him. Now I know why. They won't let him out until the day after tomorrow. He'll go to Nathan." Haley looked over at her. Peyton was lying in bed next to her. Her cast had been tagged by Sawyer.

"Did you hurt him?"

"Probably."

"I can't believe you punched him."

She didn't look up from her drawing. "Didn't you?"

"I did worse." She had done so much worse. Haley hiccupped as the tears started again. "We could have figured something out. He didn't have to do this."

"Haley," Peyton spoke softly. "You're gonna make yourself sick."

"I couldn't feel him." She whispered. "After I woke up, I couldn't feel my baby."

"Oh, Haley..."

"I just knew that he was gone," she went on. "And when I heard his heart beat…when we heard…it was like a sign to me that everything was going to be alright. Now this."

"You know that Nathan would die before he let anything happen to you." Peyton said. "He made a boneheaded jack-assed move, and while I don't feel sorry for clocking his behind, you know that he would move heaven and Earth for you and that heartbeat."

"I know."

"Good." She nodded succinctly. "What's going to happen now?"

"I don't know." Haley shook her head. "I can't even look at Nathan right now. I can't be around him. He's my husband, Peyton and I'll love him forever. He was trying to make things right for us. Why do I feel like this? Why am I feeling so betrayed?"

"I can't answer that for you, Hales?" When her cell rang, Peyton frowned at her caller ID.

"Yeah,"

"_How is she?"_

She glanced back at Haley. "Baring the elements," Peyton replied. "Where are you?"

"_Beach house."_

"Hopefully not doing anything stupid."

"_I've learned my lesson."_

"Good, I should hope so. Hold on." She handed the phone back to Haley. She took it and waited until Peyton left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She started to speak, but Peyton stuck her head back in the room. "No phone sex. I still have to pay the bill." Snatching a pillow from behind her, she lobbed at the door. Peyton shut it before impact. Haley could hear the girl laughing down the hallway.

"I love you, Nathan."

"_Do you mean that_?" His voice asked roughly, because after earlier, he wasn't so sure.

He had been pacing he deck all day practicing what he was going to say. He was still pacing it now. He had raked a hand through his hair so much his scalp was starting to feel sore.

"_You know that I do."_

"God, Haley, I love you, too. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. You have got believe that.

_"I do."_

"I love our baby."

"I know." She heard his breath ease out over the line. She could also hear the surf in the background. Closing her eyes she could see him. Standing on the porch of their family's beach house as the wind coming in off the ocean messed with dark hair on his head that was in need of a cut.

_"What now, he asked her?"_

"Time,"

His voice sighed over the line. She knew that he wasn't going to like what she said when he asked the question. _"How much, and will you still be mad at when you finally let me come home?"_

"I don't know Nathan," she sighed, unconsciously rubbing her hand low on her belly. Their kid had radar. He knew something was wrong and wanted to know what problem was.

"Somebody tried to kill you." She waited for him to say something, but Nathan kept quiet. "I don't want to be mad at you, Nathan. I told you that I needed you to fix our problem. But never did I expect what you did to be your way of doing it."

_"What more do you want me to say? What do I need to do?"_

"I've already told you."


	3. Chapter 3

Aftermath

An OTH Naley Short

By Alex B

3

He went back the next morning, but Peyton had gone all pit-bull on him_. Haley can't see you,_ she told him. It was better than her telling him that his wife didn't want to see him. But he had seen her. She wasn't sleeping. Her faced showed it all. They had spent the whole day at the hospital. He'd forgotten about the appointment that they had today. He could have gone in there using his right as their baby's father, but Nathan hadn't done that. Instead, he had waited, and then went to talk to the doctor himself. When he was sure that they were gone, when he knew that they weren't in the building anymore, Nathan went in and sat with his brother.

Lucas was sitting up in his bed starting out at the rain that fell down.

"The way you love Peyton is the way I love Haley." He said.

"She didn't want to leave here." Lucas replied before looking over at his brother. "But she made a promise to you to look after Haley. You told her."

Nathan nodded. "I didn't have much choice. I'd already jeopardized our baby once. I didn't want to do it again, but I couldn't hold the words inside any longer. She…she couldn't even look at me, Luke. She told me that if I didn't leave that she would."

"Sounds like Haley. She give you that?" Lucas motioned to the beginnings of a black eye on his brother's face. Touching his bruise, Nathan winced.

"No," he replied with a small laugh. "That would be Peyton." Lucas rested his head back against his pillows and laughed. He laughed so hard he winced then rubbed his fist over the middle of his chest.

"She hit you?"

"I had to tell her everything so that she would sit with Haley for me."

"No, you didn't have to." Lucas shook his head. "You know that Peyton would have done that anyway." Nathan nodded.

"She deserved to know then." He said. "Haley said something to me. She said that what happened to her, Dante hitting her with that car, contributed to what happened to you. If it were only the game, you would have collapsed before or after making that shot. I watched you, Luke. You and Skills froze me out in the first half, and you didn't trust me all the much in the second. None of the guys knew what was going on, but I guess they followed your lead."

"I couldn't let you take that away from them, from Whitey, from me. We worked too damn hard. But if I knew what would have happened afterward…"

"But you didn't."

"How long are you going to stay away?"

Nathan rose from his seat and paced the room. "Haley says that she needs time. When I talked to her last night, she told me that she didn't want to be mad at me, but she couldn't help it. Someone tired to kill me and ended up almost killing her and the baby."

"I'm glad he's dead." Nathan looked at his brother with surprise. Lucas' gaze was steady on the wall across the room, but his eyes saw nothing. Nathan nodded his head sagely.

"I won't cry any tears over the man that nearly took my family."

"Haley told me that Dante wanted you soul." Nathan was smart to keep quiet. It was always that way when Lucas was building up to something. Dan was the same way, but the difference was that you wanted to hear what Lucas was going to say because he was never in it to put you under his foot and step down. "She meant basketball because it's such a big part of you. But, dude," Lucas shook his head again. "It's not your soul."

"She is. _They are_."

Lucas nodded then tapped the tips of his finger to his temple. "I knew you had some smarts in you somewhere."

"Is this your way of saying that you forgive me?" Lucas looked at Nathan, his expression both shocked and surprised.

"You telling me that you need it?" He asked almost hesitantly. "Are we…are we there?"

"Yeah," Nathan replied with a nod. "We are, and we do. You and Haley are all that I've got."

"That's not true, Nate. But you're forgiven. I forgive you, Nathan and Haley will to. Go home." Nathan nodded then stood to leave. Again, Lucas stopped him. "One more thing little brother," he said. "When you get home would you mind telling a certain sexy blonde to come back and see me?"

"Haley's married, dude." They both laughed softly.

"Man, don't make me get out of this bed." Lucas threatened.

Nathan laughed. "Yeah, okay, I'll tell her."

"It's going to be okay, Nate."

"How do you know?"

"Because he wouldn't have saved you, and he wouldn't have given me the choice if it wasn't meant to be."

"Keith?"

"He says to just breathe."

-

He was soaked to the bone as he stood out in front of their apartment building. He'd given Peyton his key so he would have to knock. But that was okay. He wanted Haley to be the one to let him back in their home, in her life, and back into her heart.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Peyton's cell. She answered on the second ring. _"She's fine, Nathan. She was tired so Haley went to lie down an hour ago."_

"Thank you." He paused, then, "Ah, Lucas told me to tell you to come see him."

_"You be careful, Nathan, do you hear me?"_ She said to him. _"Because I would have no problem putting the black on your other eye if you mess this with Haley."_

"I'll never screw things up with her again." He promised. "Never again."

_"I believe you."_ He listened to the dial tone but didn't put his phone away when he hung up. He stood beside Peyton's car with the rain falling on him. When she came out, she hugged him. Peyton wasn't really good at words when it came to the emotional stuff. They were okay.

"Good luck," she told him.

"I'll need it." She moved past him to slip into her car, but before she started the car, Peyton asked,

"You and Luke?"

"We're good." She nodded then backed out of the drive.

As he started up the stairs to where they lived, Nathan dialed the house number. He could hear the phone ringing inside the apartment as the passed their window to stand in front of their door. "Come on, Haley."

Her sleepy voice sounded in his ear. _"Mm?"_

"I love you, Haley."

Inside, Haley rubbed at her still sleepy eyes. _"Nathan,"_ She heard a knock at the door and ignored it. Outside, Nathan knocked again.

"I not staying away anymore, Haley. I can't." He knocked again. "It's too hard."

_"You said-"_

"No, you said." Nathan told her. "And I'm sorry, but I can't give you anymore time. I need you, Haley. And you need me, too." He was silent on the other line. Raising his fist, he knocked again.

"_God, who is that?"_

"Peyton has my key." When the phone clicked off in his ear, Nathan slid his phone into his pocket. When the door finally opened, he took her in. She was wearing a pair of her pajama pants with the draw string that made her stomach look really good even though she was starting to show. He told her when he had first seen the pants that she should wear them all the time. When Haley had asked him why, he told that it was cute the way they covered her feet.

"_Oh, and it makes your butt look good, too."_ He remembered saying with a faint smile. She wore one of his Duke T-Shirts as well. The shirt looked better on her than they ever had on him.

"The door wasn't locked." Haley finally spoke. Nathan didn't reply, so she spoke again. "Why didn't you get your key back? Nathan?"

He snapped to. "What?"

"Your key."

"What about it?"

"Why didn't you get it back?"

He wanted to touch her so bad. "Because I wanted yo to let me in. Do you understand?"

She nodded jerkily trying not to cry.

_When her man made up, he sure made up big, didn't he?_

Not an inch of him was dry. His hair was wet black and stuck to his head. His lightweight jacket and the T-shirt he wore under it was plastered to the top half of his body. Rain dripped from his lashes and into his eyes. It fell from his ears, this nose and his fingertips. Nathan was standing in his own puddle, but just looking at him made her breath hitch. But it wasn't the way that he looked; it was the way that he was looking at her that made it hard to stand. His love didn't hide; it was right there in those eyes staring at her. _"I love you, too."_

His breath came out in a gust. "Can I come home?"

She nodded again shakily. "Mm, yeah. Yes, please." Her crutches fell to either side of her as Nathan picked her up and moved inside. It wasn't the warm air that made him shiver. Haley didn't seem to care one bit that he was soaked to the bone, or that the water from his close were seeping into hers.

"Forgive me?" He needed to know.

"I love you," she replied. "How can I not? But if you ever…"

"I won't."

"Damn right." Haley punched him in the chest. He felt the shiver that moved through her.

"Cold?"

"Maybe."

Nathan grinned. "How about a bath?"

"Nathan Scott, that has to be the most romantic thing you ever said to me. Loose the shirt."

"Guys like to be romantic."

He kicked the door shut behind them.


End file.
